Permit Compliance System

Abstract

A system and method is disclosed that enables the display of permits and/or permit information related to a specific location, collection of permitting data onsite, comparison of the onsite data to permitted constraints, and reporting the results of the inspection (as required under the appropriate regulatory policy or as requested by the organization or entity being inspected), as well as sending immediate notifications, as appropriate, to decision makers. In certain embodiments, the system and method may also offer predictions on the likelihood of an enforcement action against the organization given factors such as, but not limited to, the type of violation, degree of violation, and enforcement actions against others for similar violations. In other embodiments, the system and method allows the permittee to mitigate the risk of a violation by notifying emergency personnel in addition to decision makers within the organization.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A permit compliance system for evaluating discharges from a site, the site being subject to a plurality of permit limitations, the permit compliance system comprising:
 a handheld mobile compliance device having a processor and a non-transitory computer readable medium in communication with the processor, wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium includes:
 an input module configured to:
 determine a location of the handheld mobile compliance device; 
 present to a user a first permit limitation when the handheld mobile compliance device is proximate a first permitted discharge location associated with the first permit limitation; 
 receive data representing a first actual discharge at the first permitted discharge location only when the handheld mobile compliance device is proximate the first permitted discharge location, and wherein the user cannot access the first actual discharge data when the handheld mobile compliance device is not proximate the first permitted discharge location; 
 present to a user a second permit limitation when the handheld mobile compliance device is proximate a second permitted discharge location associated with the second permit limitation, the second permitted discharge location being different than the first permitted discharge location; and 
 receive data for an second actual discharge only when the handheld mobile compliance device is proximate the second permitted discharge location, and wherein the user cannot access the second actual discharge data when the handheld mobile compliance device is not proximate the second permitted discharge location. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . A permit compliance system according to  claim 1 , wherein the input module is further configured to present each of the first and second permit limitations as determined by the location of the handheld mobile compliance device relative to the longitude and latitude of the first and second permitted discharge, respectively. 
     
     
         3 . A permit compliance system according to  claim 1 , wherein the input module is further configured such that no alterations to any received data is permitted after the handheld mobile compliance device is no longer at the location of the received data. 
     
     
         4 . A permit compliance system according to  claim 1 , wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium further includes a comparison module configured to determine a difference between the first actual discharge and a first permitted discharge value. 
     
     
         5 . A permit compliance system according to  claim 4 , further including a reporting module configured to evaluate the difference and to transmit information related to the first actual discharge to certain site personnel needing to know the information, wherein the reporting module is further configured to access a database that includes information related to compliance credits and to purchase the compliance credits related to the actual discharge and the difference. 
     
     
         6 . A permit compliance system according to  claim 4 , wherein the comparison module is further configured to determine an extent of the first actual discharge based upon the difference. 
     
     
         7 . A permit compliance system according to  claim 6 , wherein the comparison module is further configured to provide a set of remedial instructions to a user, wherein the set of instructions are based upon the extent of the first actual discharge. 
     
     
         8 . A permit compliance system according to  claim 6 , further including a prediction module configured to determine a likelihood of an enforcement action based upon the difference. 
     
     
         9 . A permit compliance system according to  claim 8 , wherein the likelihood of an enforcement action is based upon three or more considerations, the considerations including: a number of previously exceeded permit limitations; the extent; an amount of time of the exceeded permit limitation; a toxicity or dangerousness of the exceeded permit limitation; how often enforcement actions are taken against industries related to the site; how often the site has had an enforcement action brought against it; number of enforcement actions in the surrounding geographical area; number of enforcement actions taken in that jurisdiction for similar noncompliance; cost of enforcement actions for similar noncompliance as the exceeded permit limitation; and the speed with which the site remedies the exceeded permit limitation. 
     
     
         10 . A permit compliance system according to  claim 9 , wherein the prediction module is further configured to provide a cost of non-remedial action related to the first actual discharge. 
     
     
         11 . A permit compliance system for monitoring, reporting, and complying with permit limitations related to permitted discharges at a site, the permit compliance system comprising:
 a database including at least one permitted discharge value related to each permitted discharge at the site;   a handheld mobile compliance device in communication with the database, the handheld mobile compliance device sized and configured to allow a user to readily move the handheld mobile compliance device to differently located permitted discharges at the site, the handheld mobile compliance device having a processor and a non-transitory computer readable medium in communication with the processor and including an input module configured to determine a location of the handheld mobile compliance device, to present a permit limitation to the user when the handheld mobile compliance device is proximate a permitted discharge, and to receive information related to the permitted discharge; and   a reporting system in communication with the handheld mobile compliance device and the database, the reporting system configured to:
 determine a difference between the permitted discharge information with a permitted discharge value, 
 determine the existence of a discharge event based upon the difference, and 
 transmit information related to the discharge event and one or more remedial steps. 
   
     
     
         12 . A permit compliance system according to  claim 11 , wherein the reporting system includes a prediction module configured to determine a likelihood of an enforcement action based upon the difference. 
     
     
         13 . A permit compliance system according to  claim 11 , wherein the reporting system is further configured to access a second database that includes information related to compliance credits and to purchase the compliance credits based upon the difference. 
     
     
         14 . A permit compliance system according to  claim 13 , wherein the reporting system further includes a prediction module configured to determine a likelihood of an enforcement action based upon the difference. 
     
     
         15 . A permit compliance system according to  claim 11 , wherein the reporting system is further configured to determine a cost of non-remedial action related to the discharge event. 
     
     
         16 . A permit compliance system according to  claim 11 , wherein the reporting system is further configured to include a reporting module, the reporting module being configured to access a second database that includes information related to compliance credits. 
     
     
         17 . A permit compliance system according to  claim 16 , wherein the reporting module is further configured to purchase the compliance credits related to the discharge event. 
     
     
         18 . A method of recording and reporting on permitted discharges at a site having permitted discharges, the method comprising:
 providing a handheld mobile compliance device;   receiving, with the handheld mobile compliance device, a first discharge value once the handheld mobile compliance device is proximate a first permitted discharge location at the site;   restricting access to the first discharge value once the handheld mobile compliance device is no longer proximate the first permitted discharge location;   receiving, with the handheld mobile compliance device, a second discharge value once the handheld mobile compliance device is proximate a second permitted discharge location at the site; and   restricting access to the second discharge value once the handheld mobile compliance device is no longer proximate the second permitted discharge location.   
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 18 , further including comparing the first discharge value with a first permitted discharge value. 
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 19 , further including predicting a likelihood of an enforcement action based upon the comparing.